The Great Pantsuit Problem (And What To Do About It)
In the August issue of Harper's Bazaar, the magazine asks:
Harper's Bazaar: How many pantsuits do you have?
Nancy Pelosi: I don't have any idea. Endless.
It didn't bother me at first. Just a typical question to ask a Washington woman. And then it began to haunt me, that word: "endless." Walking down the wide streets of Capitol Hill I became acutely aware of the troops of women in men's attire gone pastel. How would Hillary have responded to that question? "I rent an airplane hangar to hold all mine. Bill understands."
When did the pantsuit become political armor for powerful women? Worn like Teflon, there seems to be a wildly held belief among these movers and shakers that the jeers and sexist jabs slide right off when you match your blazer and trouser. Wear it in beige and it's as good as camouflage. The British have their hats, the South Americans their sex appeal, the French, their je ne sais quoi; there must be another way for the American woman to convey authority besides the seldom flattering pantsuit.
First ladies don't fall prey to the pantsuit pandemic, but they don't need to. They are walking, sometimes talking, billboards for their husband's campaigns, concerned with conveying elegance not leadership. Think Reagan power red and Nancy's crimson stain. Of Cindy McCain the media generally says, she may not be cutting edge, but she's got that Republican first lady look locked down. She sure does. On any given Sunday, Cindy is trying to dress as much like the American Flag as humanly possible. I bet Betsy Ross couldn't even stand to look at her.
As for Michelle "Puffy Sleeve" Obama, she has decided to make the swashbuckler look her trademark. First there was the Super Tuesday red suit with the sleeves large enough to hide pounds of contraband in.
Then there was the white button-down again with the voluminous sleeves. Tall and lithe enough to carry the clothes, Michelle can somehow make the Three Musketeers fashion sensibility work for her. She might also be able to spread her wings and fly if need be. But besides the puffy shirts, she plays it safe by chasing the Camelot closet.
Pelosi, Clinton, and the rest of the Hill's power women can't just come across as elegant hand-holders--they need clothes to convey an image that they can make the infamous 3am phone call without dressing like men. These power dames are clearly petrified that a sense of style will show frivolity, and seem to regard fashion as a strange viral disease spread by Manhattanites.
Condoleezza "Have Wardrobe, Will Travel" Rice is one of the only power-wielding Washington women immune from the highly contagious pantsuit mania. Sure, she wears them but they're in rotation with Akris separates and Oscar de la Renta mismatching pieces. Ever since she donned the infamous knee-high boots made for a lot more than walking at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield in 2005, she's been slyly showing Washington that a woman in power can dress to identify herself, not as a means to hide. It's a bold statement--more like Burlosconi in his expensive double-breasted suits or Don Corleone's pinstripes than the predictable safe pantaloon of Hillary Clinton.
Couture Condi did suffer a small wardrobe malfunction recently when her flesh-toned blouse and the flashbulbs at a school in Perth, Australia didn't quite agree with each other, but most fashionistas reactions were, hurrah! she wasn't buttoned-up like a Victorian or wearing a poly-cotton blazer with an eagle on her shoulder. And yes, we now know from photographic evidence that the Secretary of State wears a bra.
If you believe what you're clad in doesn't define you, just think of Cheney's gaffe at Auschwitz when he looked as though he were about to shoot up wild boar or man the snowplow rather than represent his country.
For a man or woman in power, clothes are not armor, but a reflection of the way they lead. Political men in their cowboy boots, barn jackets or tightly tailored suits have discovered that. It's time that women step ahead of them and embrace power dressing with a twist, turning the oh so predictable p---suit into a dirty word.
Follow Karin Tanabe on Twitter: www.twitter.com/snobbytanabe
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MeganAnn is right I need to eye bleach in order to walk the streets of DC. It's nothing but woman dressed in ill fitted Easter Egg colored suits.
To the rest of the people making nasty comments, the author was merely trying to be humorous. I found the article to be smart, witty and well written. The article was social commentary not public policy and no where in the article did she call Michelle a terrorist. Even though Michelle did look as if she had stolen her outfit from the girl in Sixteen Candles.
In my opinion pantsuits only look good on tall, slim women. Everyone else tends to look a little tank-ish. For the visual look at the photo of Clinton and Pelosi. Pelosi looks better because she is thinner.
Uhhh. Who cares?
people with a fashion sense care. people who are sick of having sore eyes by looking at all of the monstrosities in dc wearing p---suits, care. apparently, you wear said p---suits, or you wouldn't have asked.
Dresses are very non-functional pieces of clothing that women have been stuck with much too long. Men gave up clothing that was open on the bottom many centuries ago and have benefitted greatly. It is high time that women give up dresses and enjoy the same freedom that men enjoy without having to worry how they sit, etc.
Oh, I must disagree. Dresses are things that would have sooo helped Hillary. Not that I liked her, but her pantsuits just entrenched my dislike. They said "I am going to ram it down your throat that I am hard and tough and rough and scrappy and capable." And then when she spoke, even her voice was hard and tough and rough. What an absolute no-no. Women should always look like women! Sound like women! As the French say, viva la difference.
Not that I don't agree we are in need of some man-type respect. I was raised in the 70s when the liberation movement was all the rage, and my mother was big on it. It's just that we neglect the vast power of feminity when we wear pants too much. We need to use our wiles. Flaunt your fineness, THEN hammer them with your fantastic wit and logic and brains. No man can do that.
Tarin. Your description about Michelle sleeve is disgraceful. It shows your kind of person. I bet you Michelle Obama is everything you and chinzy will only dream of but can NEVER achieved.
hahahahaha
I guess Cindy is slacking..
Oh, bite me.
Men wear pantsuits and no one complains. Except when they're pastel leisure suits, in which case everyone complains. So DO let's ban pastels instead.
Until the Star Trek jumpsuit becomes appropriate office attire y'all can leave my pantsuits alone. Business skirts force women to purchase $5 pantyhose that runs on the first wearing, which makes us poorer, which makes us need to get married in order to lead decent lives. I sense a plot. Operation Pantyhose.
I'm sick of seeing men in suits, day after day after day...mayb
Ugh. Perpetuating the subliminal message that Mic helle is somehow a terrorist type? Hiding contraband in her sleeves? I would have expected better from you. But hey, run with it. C indy isdressed as the perfect Repulsive wife, but the other hides illegal goods in her clothes.
Ugh, pantsuits are atrocious. Why can't these women wear a nice pair of pants (black goes with everything), a blouse or sleeveless top, and an interesting jacket? Why does the top have to match the bottom? I agree with another comment about the importance of fabric and tailoring. HRC's attire during the primaries was gag-worthy in cartoonish colors. Pelosi... at least not crayola colors, but bland from what I've noticed.
I started working in the late '60s when women weren't allowed to wear pants at all. One company really wanted to hire me, but I told them I wouldn't wear a dress. Their compromise was to change office policy to allow pantsuits (new at the time). Well, I didn't want that job badly enough to make such a purchase and so politely declined.
Also can't stand men in their silly uniforms. Ties used to be for wiping the mouth, pre-napkins.
Maybe these customs prevail because many people don't have a sense of personal style. Condi's politics aside, she is stylish.
Not.
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That is one bizarre picture!!
I didn't read the article, but the solution is simple:
Ban pantsuits.
I've never seen one I liked. I've never seen a woman wearing one that I thought looked more professional. And I've certainly never seen someone in one that I found more attractive than if they had been wearing just about ANYTHING else.
Please, stop with the criticism. Pantsuits are comfortable. No need to wear pantyhose. No worry about waxing pr shaving your legs. No worry about whether the calves are too far apart or not properly crossed at the ankles. There's greater freedom and comfort with slacks and blazer or pantsuit. If you like the restrictions and constrictions of skirts and dresses, go for it. Skirts and dresses are find for formal occasions and they, admittedly, feel great and (for some) sexy. But for minute-by-minute activity during the workday, the pantsuit gives women the same comfortable freedom men have enjoyed for centuries. So, please--give it a rest.
Why do men wear "suits" but women wear "pantsuits"?
A suit is a suit is a suit no matter the gender of the wearer. Whether the lower portion of the garment is comprised of trousers or skirts it remains a suit of clothes.
Good point. I do wish they would wear skirts every now and again, though. These suits look so boring and those horrible colors! Why not some sage green or eggplant?
Because for a woman, a suit is an ensemble with a jacket and skirt, unless you specify pant suit, in which case it's an ensemble of jacket and pants. With time, when the pant suit predominates, a suit will mean just that.
I admit the pantsuits these women wear are UGLY. On the other hand ... men with their guts hanging out over their belts are not exactly fashion *do*s, and we see pictures of them every single day in every single venue of life. So get over it. Rank has its privileges, and they have the right and privilege to dress badly. If I knew anything about fashion, and I don't ... and anyone were paying attention to what I said, and they don't ... I'd put the women in rich, bright silks ... unconstructud layers in flattering colors. Like they dressed Claire Huxtable on the Cosby show when the actress was pregnant. Or Suzanne Sugarbaker on Designing Women ... except for those horrible outfits with the peplums making her waist smaller and her derriere humongous.
That's what I'd do.
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